Second Sphere

3 minutes

"Why did you think you were the monster?" Dr. Raynor looks up at me.

I shoot her a bitter smile, "Who wouldn't think that way?"

She crosses her legs, "Most people actually." She stares at me when I don't answer. "Throughout all of our sessions you never have your wings out. Why is that?"

This question she won't let me ignore. "I would rather not ruin my clothes."

Raynor shoots a raised eyebrow at me, "And you mean to tell me under that jacket you don't have a low backed top to accommodate your wings?"

"And if that is what I'm telling you." I bite out each word. My hands squeezing tighter on my arms.

"Then take it off and show me." Dr. Raynor says in a matter of fact tone.

"What?" I ask incredulously.

"Take it off." Dr. Raynor gestures with pen at my jacket.

"It's cold and rainy." I mutter the excuse. I know that she's not believing it.

She holds a hand out flat, palm up. "Hm. It doesn't seem to be raining in here." She gestures to the thermostat on the wall. "It's a rather toasty 85 degrees in here. It doesn't seem you need a jacket."

"Alright." I take off the jacket, revealing the low backed top. "You were correct"

"So why not reveal your wings." She asks.

"Do you want me to knock over things in here?" I ask sarcastically picking at a stray thread on my jacket.

"It's just furniture it can be picked up." Dr. Raynor gestures around at the sparse furniture.

I nod and allow my wings to stretch out.

"Just because you are complying doesn't mean we are forgetting the question." Dr. Raynor gives me a pointed look.

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Thor is the first of any of us to speak, "Right." As he walks by Tony he pats his shoulder, "Well done."

"There goes your finger theory Stark." I
chuckle.

"Three minutes. Get what you need." Steve says before walking off.

"Feathers, you're with me I have something for you." Tony says as he walks away.

I follow into his lab where he pulls out a smaller crate.

"These are just some old designs I had laying around that never got used. I made some minor adjustments for your wings but should be better than the jeans and shirt you've been using so far." He opens it up and inside is some light armor. Stark shrugs and rubs the back of his neck. "After all this is done, Feathers, we will get you something better." He pats my shoulder. "Well better get anything else you need we have to go."

He walks away without another word and I gently pick up the top armor. It's modified combat gear, not too much different from what one of the operatives would have worn when I would go on missions back with Hydra. This was just lighter and a slimmer fit. The back was cut low, low enough to accommodate my wings. There was no way this was just laying around, and if it was it was altered so I could use it. I have no idea when Stark would have had time to do this, but it's a sweet gesture.

When we are all on the plane Steve gives a short speech. "Ultron knows we're coming, odds are we'll be riding into heavy fire. And that's what we signed up for. But the people of Sokovia, they didn't. So our priority is getting them out. All they want is to live their lives in peace. And that's not gonna happen today. But we can do our best to protect them. And we can get the job done. We find out what Ultron's been building, we find Romanoff, and we clear the field. Keep the fight between us. Ultron thinks we're monsters. That we're what's wrong with the world. This isn't just about beating him. It's about whether he's right."

The speech weighs heavily on us all and the rest of the ride is fairly silent. All of us mentally preparing for what we would have to face in Sokovia. Riding silently like this reminds me of the times before missions Soldier and I would take, but now there is no one I can lean on like that. Not here and not in that way. I'm still learning to trust this group and I know not all of them trust me entirely.